Apcoa Reviews 

Legal scammers!!! They removed the payment machines from the drop off area, so you can pay online, we didn't have internet when we arrived, we couldn't pay online right away, after which we completely forgot about it. So that today we get a £100 fine. They do this intentionally, a lot of people, arriving tired, get to the airport and forget to pay, making a lot of money on people's backs. Shame on you!!!

02-05-25
My recent experience with APCOA relates to Stansted Airport Set Down parking charges. I was late going on-line to pay the charge, when I did I wasn’t able to pay due to the ridiculous short amount of time you have to pay before being fined and when I called APCOA they said they would send out a letter of how I could pay. The letter never arrived and, to be honest, I forgot about the issue until today when I got a letter from Debt Recovery Plus demanding I pay £170.00!! I eventually paid £153.00! The Debt Collector said that a lot of people he speaks to have nothing but bad things to say about APCOA who appear to be unprofessional, money grabbing, cynical mercenary’s with no morals or principles, allegedly.
Here's the thing. If I am late paying a charge then I expect to be fined. But unlike this situation, I should be informed by email or text or in writing giving me the chance to pay it before the case is escalated to debt collectors.
I am definitely not looking for sympathy here. What I definitely am looking for is to warn other people using Stansted Airport Set Down parking service about the company running (ruining) it!

The last time I used drop off zone in Stansted Airport was few years ago. When you were leaving drop off zone were barriers with machine to pay for drop off zone parking. This is how I paid for drop off zone parking at that time. I was expecting the same when I arrived this year 2025 in April but I was surprised when I was leaving drop off zone barriers were not there. So i thought I quess barriers are further away with payment machine. When I drived further i discover that it is no barriers . I didn't know you have to pay through pay machine on Airport or App. I didn't know you can leave airport just like that without any security barriers. Now they sent me fine. That drop off is confusing. They done this on purpose to charge people with fines and make more money.

This experience with APCOA Luton has been absolutely unacceptable! I never received the fine in the mail, and when I tried reaching out, they didn't respond to my emails. Eventually, I had debt collectors knocking at my door demanding payment for something I wasn’t even aware of. It’s completely unprofessional and wrong to treat customers like this. A very unpleasant experience, and I will definitely be avoiding this company in the future!

Disgraceful company. Stansted airport drop off zone parking payment machines (which are on the exit) were all out of commission because they were ‘upgrading’ them. Signs up to go to website and pay online. 6 weeks later we get a fine for £170!! Outrageous!! £170 for my husband to pick me and our small baby up from the airport. Terrible company that enjoys taking advantage of hard working families.

I was fined £50 even though I had paid for a ticket with cash. As I didn't actually keep my paper ticket for months after the event I was unable to 'prove' that I wasn't displaying it at the time. Their case was based entirely on a photo of my car arriving and leaving the car park - no human check.

I paid as the strategy of demanding money with the menace of doubling the charge to £100 was entirely successful: A form of extortion.

We parked at a gas station and were delayed for 4 minutes. We came, and the car was already blocked, although they began to hang a lock on us for the allowed time. At the same time, the employee of the company himself was standing in a prohibited place. It stood on a double yellow stripe. It's a pity you can't add a photo of the violation with. Number of the offender's car 191D44145

Just got a parking fine of £40 at Heathrow airport after I found myself in the wrong lane while trying to exit Heathrow airport. The lane took me through Terminal 3 drop off point and although I didn't stop or drop off a passenger I still got fined! Totally unfair. When you are driving through there is no time to read the parking notices anyway so it never even occurred to me that you have to phone to make a drop off payment. A ridiculous system designed to entrap unknowing drivers and not fit for purpose!

Having parked at Hitchin train station, we lawfully wanted to ensure that we paid for parking but the system that you have in place is ridiculous.
Instead of just supplying a machine so that law abiding citizens can just pay, you have an inept system that seems designed to create maximum inconvenience and install stress.
We downloaded your app but it took too long to fill in the required information. Once that is done, your website wouldn’t recognise the very car park that we were in.
Second attempt, it recognised the car park but not the valid bank card details.
We ended up having to try and organise such a simple task made difficult by your company, on the train.
This whole unnecessary scenario has started our lovely day out in a negative way.
A relation of ours apparently received a £100 fine from you for not being able to pay for her parking so we were keen to avoid that happening but it seems that your ridiculous company has designed a system for maximum inconvenience. I cynically suspect that you do this on purpose to then issue fines as a result of your incompetent system.
I hope to never encounter your company again and will advocate others from doing so too.
I am so disgusted with your company that I will highlight your disappointing service as much as possible on social media to ensure that others have fair warning of what to expect from your ridiculous company

My advice: Never park anywhere there is a APCOA sign. There is a great chance you will regret it !!

I had excellent service form Declan thank you.
Kind Regards
Roy Bailey

Lewes station car park. Can only pay by scanning QR code, rubbish mobile internet access, tow option of QR code could not connect to either. I tried the telephone number option but the registration number it said was mine was not so then it rattled on about sending a test or something not really sure.While trying at least 4 orders tried 2 successful after many attempts the other 2 like myself gave up and found another cat park. Time wasted and quite stressful at least I didn’t have a train to catch. If there had been a pay by card option it would have been better. All in all a rubbish experience

Shocked. Just. Shocked. Unbelievable poor customer service, totally without influence. Totally stripped from detached from arguments and facts if not played according to their rules. Corporate piracy at it finest.

The app didn't take our money but didn't say there was a problem. Apcoa rejected our appeal. What a surprise. Tried to pay the fine online but again there was a technical issue at their end but was eventually able to pay the robbery money by phone. This is the worst company I have ever dealt with and my dream is that one day the senior management are all in jail for theft.

Had a [arking confirmation sent to the wront email, called them and they quickly sent it to the correct one. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Called up due to the carpark recognising a drop off earlier in the day and wanted 8 hours parking.

Lady was excellent and changed it and enabled me to pay.

No issue

If I can give you a zero star rating, I will give you a zero star rating. Your are completely deaf to complaints and do not address the issues I bring up. You expect me to react within a couple of weeks, yet you take 3 months to reply.

Even if you don’t get a parking ticket because their systems are broken, you will pay a higher parking fee than any other company.

i appealed as i had problems with the machine and when it printed my ticked it only printed the R, so i kept the ticket. I have checked my bank account and the funds were taken yet still i lost my appeal and this very greedy company admitted the ticket was for my car with my registration. Sadly this company is everywhere and from now on will not be parking in any of there carparks, because even when they are wrong you still have to pay.

Poor !
Keep receiving fines despite proof of payment, most of the time they do not even get the date correct.
The car park rarely has more than a handful of cars in it so I’m not the only one…..avoid

Doesn't really warrant one star. Parked on an outside/under cover car park with one entrance and exit BUT numerous routes to actually find a space. To my knowledge we neither passed a notification of parking restrictions on the way in or out (entering would be the obvious place as you're slowing down to pass a petrol station and also to decide whether you want to be outside or not. Appalling customer service and an absolute rip-off 🤬